Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 3, 1952 Adams County, Ritzville, WA ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ ==================================================================== This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Sue Gardner sueboo18@hotmail.com ==================================================================== Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 3, 1952 Mrs. C. Breikreutz Dies Here Thursday Mrs. Charles W. Breikreutz, wife of the Ritzville appliance and implement dealer, died Thursday morning at her home. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Danekas and Duncan funeral home is in charge. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 10, 1952 Funeral Services Conducted for Mrs. Breitkreutz Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon for Mrs. Mazie Bernecia Breitkreutz, who died at her home in Ritzville last Thursday. The Rev. Alfred Carter conducted the rites at the Danekas and Duncan funeral home chapel. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Born in Fresno, Calif., on April 26, 1888. Mrs. Breikreutz lived in Lind and Millwood before moving to Ritzville 23 years ago. Mrs. Breitkreutz was a past matron of Zenith Chapter 55, Order of Eastern Star and a 35-year member of Zenobia Rebekah lodge No. 118. She belonged to the Trinity Methodist church. Survivors include her husband, Charles W., a son, Floyd; a niece, Opal Haas of Portland; and two nephews, Delbert Haas of Spokane and Allen Haas of Portland. Rites Set For Mrs. Oestreich Funeral services for Mrs. Anna Elizabeth Oestreich, 70, who died Tuesday at the Ritzville hospital following a brief illness, will be held in the chapel of the Danekas and Duncan funeral home at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, with the Rev. Alfred Carter officiating. Burial will be in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Oestreich was born Oct. 24, 1881, in Nebraska but had lived in this area for 60 years. She is survived by one son, Clarence A., one daughter, Mrs. George Fifield, four brothers, Conrad Schafer of Spokane, and Elmer, Joe and Henry Schafer, all of Ritzville, four granddaughters and one grandson. She was a member of a Methodist church in Spokane. Funeral Held For Omar Haight, Last of Mortuary Operator Line Funeral services were held Monday for Omar Romayne Haight, 37, who died last Friday following a fire in his residence at 197 South Division Street the previous day. Haight represented the third generation in a family which had operated a mortuary in Ritzville from pioneer days until 1948, when Omar Haight retired from the business. Fire department officials said the fire late Thursday afternoon apparently was caused when Haight, fully clothed, lay down on his bed with a lighted cigarette. The smoldering blaze was first noticed by Tak Muraka, laundryman, who carried Haight out of the smoke filled bedroom and notified the fire department. The burns Haight received on his hips were not considered serious, but it is believed carbon monoxide from the dense smoke may have affected him. He died Friday morning at Ritzville General hospital. Property damage caused by the fire was limited to bedding and the mattress. Haight's grandfather opened a mortuary in Ritzville in pioneer days. The business passed to Haight's father, Miles, who continued to operate it in later years with the assistance of two sons, Forrest and Omar. Forrest died in 1946. Omar operated the mortuary in partnership with Eli Duncan during 1947 and until September of 1948, when Haight retired and Duncan went into partnership with Ralph Danekas as the Danekas and Duncan funeral home. Funeral services on Monday were held in the Danekas and Duncan funeral home chapel with the Rev. Alfred Carter of Trinity United Methodist church officiating. Following the services the body was taken to Spokane for cremation. Omar Haight was born Aug. 1, 1914, and had lived in Ritzville all of his life. He was a member of the C. J. Newland American Legion Post. Survivors include his widow, Amelia, an uncle, Dr. Lloyd Haight of Ritzville; and several cousins. Alfred Betzold, Former Resident Dies In Denver Word has been received in Ritzville this week that a former resident, Alfred J. Betzold, who is still widely-known through this area, died last month at Denver, Colo. A native of St. Cloud, Minn., Betzold came to Ritzville in 1917 to manage the clothing department of the Myers-Shepley store. Three years later he became a clerk in the J. C. Penney company store here and in 1924 he became manager of the Ritzville J. C. Penney store. He served in that capacity until 1926 when he was transferred to Caribou, Me., as manager. Three years later he went to Norfolk, Neb., as manager of the Penney store there. Betzold managed the Norfolk Penney store from 1929 until July of 1941 when he retired and moved with his wife to Denver. In Norfolk, Betzold, who was 60 when he died after suffering from high blood pressure the past few years, became a prominent civic leader. He was a former director and president of the chamber of commerce, past president of the Kiwanis club and a director in the DeLay National bank. Mrs. Betzold, suffering from shock after her husband's death, was taken to a Denver hospital. Other survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Robert Finley and Miss Mary Ann Betzold, R.N., both of Denver; his mother, Mrs. Emma Betzold, 80, of St. Paul, Minn. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 17, 1952 Rites Set For Mrs. Daughters PORTLAND, Ore. - Mrs. Pearl H. Daughters of Spokane, a former resident of this community, died at Portland, Ore., early this week. She was the widow of the Rev. T. A. Daughters, former vicar of St. Mark's Episcopal church here. Their son, Andrew Daughters of Pasco, lived here for several years after Mrs. Daughters moved to Spokane. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George P. Howard and was born at Colfax in 1881. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Fleharty and Mrs. Elmira Fredlund, both of Spokane; three sons, George T. Daughters of Baltimore, Md.; Milo Phillip Daughters, Forest Grove, Ore., Deacon Andrew Daughters, Pasco; a sister, Mrs. Earl Hannum, of Seattle; three brothers, Robert C. Howard, Los Angeles, Calif.; Julian Howard, Mt. Vernon; and Cotton Howard, Seattle; and 12 grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, with the Very Reverend Charles E. McAllister, D.D. officiating, assisted by Rev. Charles Hill. Interment will be in Greenwood cemetery. The Smith Funeral Home is in charge. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 24, 1952 Rites Saturday for Mrs. Hoefel, Pioneer Here Funeral services for one of Ritzville's oldtime pioneers, Mrs. Theresia Hoefel, who died here Tuesday morning, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Philadelphia Congregational church with the Rev. R. Kirschenmann officiating. Burial will be in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Hoefel, who was 86 last November, was the mother of one of Adams county's most prominent families. A resident of the Ritzville area exactly half-a-century last December, Mrs. Hoefel's seven sons and five daughters are all well-known in this area. The Hoefel family, of German stock, migrated from Russia in 1901, settling on a farm 16 miles west of Ritzville. Friedrich Hoefel, the father, died in 1912. Mrs. Hoefel has been living in Ritzville for many years. The seven surviving sons are David, Jake, John and Carl, all of Ritzville; Emil of Spokane; Robert of Odessa; and Chris of Lodi, Calif. The five daughters are Mrs. Robert Weigum of Lodi, Calif.; Mrs. Albert Wolsborn of Marengo; Mrs. Carl Clodius of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Miss Ruth Hoefel of Burlingame, Calif.; and Miss Edna Hoefel of Phoenix, Ariz. A sister, Christina Miederreiter, lived in Germany. Mrs. Hoefel also was survived by 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 31, 1952 Mrs. Hopkins Rites Held In Aberdeen WASHTUCNA - Funeral services for Mrs. Nina Hopkins, who died Jan. 24 in a nursing home in Aberdeen, were held there Tuesday. She had suffered a light stroke on Christmas eve. Mrs. Hopkins was the widow of Dr. E. H. Hopkins, former Washtucna physician. After his death several years ago, she moved to Aberdeen to be near her daughter. In addition to her daughter, she is survived by four sons and several grandchildren. Funeral Service Held in Seattle for Albert Gale SEATTLE - Funeral services for Albert P. Gale, who died Friday in Seattle, were held Monday morning in the Butterworth funeral parlors in Seattle with burial in Washelli. Gale had been a resident of Ritzville for 25 years. He left town last spring. A veteran of World War I, he died in the veterans administration hospital in Seattle. Survivors include a son, Al, in Spokane; a sister, Mrs. Roy McGarland of Ritzville; a brother, Russell Gale of Pasco; and two grand- children. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 7, 1952 Funeral Held for Carl Reiff, 72, Veteran Trading Company Man Funeral services were held Tuesday for Carl Nicolous Reiff, 72, who died the previous Saturday - two years and two days after he had retired following nearly a half a century as manager of the furniture department in the Ritzville Trading Company. A German-born upholsterer, Reiff managed the furniture department for 45 years and had worked for the Trading company longer than any employee in its history. The Trading company was closed from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday as the funeral was conducted in the Emanuel Lutheran church with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Burial was in the Lutheran cemetery. A resident of the Ritzville area for 47 years, Reiff was born in 1879 in Wurttemburg, Germany. As a boy he learned the upholstery trade in an orphanage in Stutgart. At 16 he started working in a factory. Two years later, with a handful of savings and a job on a ship, Reiff came to the United States. He headed for Pine River, Wis., to visit a brother, the Rev. John Reiff, a Lutheran minister. After a six-month stay he left for St. Paul. The brother had urged him to study for the ministry, but Carl still preferred his upholstry trade. He married the former Elma Summer of St. Paul on Oct. 26, 1903. The couple lived at St. Paul for two years. In the fall of 1905, Reiff received a letter from Kalkwarf urging him to consider opening in the store's furniture department where an upholsterer was badly needed. Reiff accepted and arrived in Ritzville in October 1905, with his wife and 7-month-old daughter, who is now Mrs. Percy Hurd of Newburg, Ore. In those early years, Reiff recalled when he was interviewed following his retirement in January of 1950, Ritzville's furniture arrived from the east in parts which had to be assembled by hand. Glue was melted on a small burner as Reiff painstakingly fitted parts of hundreds of pieces of furniture together. The job required so much time that often the young upholsterer returned to the store after dinner to work until midnight or later. When Reiff retired another daughter, Elsie, who had served as his assistant, managed the Trading company until leaving the position last year. Reiff's survivors include his wife, Elma, at the home; two sons, Carl, Jr., of Ritzville; and Arthur, who is serving in Guam; and five daughters, Mrs. Clara Hurd of Newburg, Ore.; Miss Elsie Reiff of Ritzville; Mrs. Martha Bisel of Waterville; and Mrs. Ruth Steinmetz and Mrs. Alice Heimbigner, both of Ritzville. Other survivors are a brother, Jack, who lives in Wisconsin; a sister, Mrs. Marie Kalkwarf of Walla Walla; and three grandchildren. Danekas and Duncan funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Funeral Service is Held Monday LIND - Funeral servicees were held Monday in the Methodist church here for Benjamin Maier, 49, who died at his home suddenly last Thursday. The Rev. W. H. Ritchey and the Rev. Edward Schmidt conducted the rites. Burial was in the Lind cemetery. Danekas and Duncan funeral home of Ritzville was in charge of arrangements. Born in North Dakota on March 2, 1902, Maier had lived in the Lind area for 40 years. He was a longtime employee of the Union Elevator company. Survivors include the widow Tillie, of Lind; two sons, Floyd of Lind and Robert of Ritzville; four daughters, Mrs. Bill Austin, Mrs. Victor Borth, Mariann Maier and Clara Louise Maier, all of Lind. Also surviving are four brothers, Edmond of Ritzville, Huldrick of Deer Park, John of Lind and Gotlieb of Spokane and seven grandchildren. Maier was an uncle of both Blimp Maier and Larry Maier in Ritzville. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 21, 1952 Funeral Set For Mrs. Bullwinkel Rosary will be said for Mrs. Margaret Bullwinkel at 8 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 22, at the Danekas and Duncan funeral home chapel in Ritzville, with funeral services scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the St. Agnes Catholic church. Father C. M. Depiere will officiate. Burial will be in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane. Mrs. Bullwinkel, who was the mother of Mrs. Carl Harder, died Wednesday afternoon at the Harder ranch where she had lived for the past 12 years. She had been ill for some time. She was born July 24, 1863, at Jefferson, Wisc. She was the widow of Andrew Bullwinkel, a claim adjuster for the Milwaukee railroad. Besides Mrs. Harder, she is survived by another daughter, Mrs. Marie Sullivan of Spokane; two sons, Robert Bullwinkel and William Bullwinkel, both of Seattle; 15 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Rites Held for Lincoln Pioneer DAVENPORT - Funeral services were held Feb. 13 for one of Lincoln county's early pioneers, Mrs. Elizabeth Zellmer, 88, of Davenport. She was the mother of Mrs. Alfred Heinemann of Ritzville. Mrs. Zellmer, born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, came to the United States at the age of 22. She lived in Iowa and Colorado before coming to Walla Walla. In 1892 she was married to Emil Zellmer. The couple made their home on the Zellmer homestead in the Rocklyn area. In 1903 they moved to a ranch south of Davenport and lived there until retiring in 1917. After living in California for two years the couple moved to Spokane. Mr. Zellmer died in 1938 and shortly after Mrs. Zellmer moved to Davenport. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Heinemann and Mrs. William Guhlke of Davenport; three sons, Albert, Edward and Walter, all of Davenport; 16 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Rites Held For Duncan's Sister CHENEY - Mrs. Regina Costelloe, 58, a former resident of the Davenport and Spokane communities died Feb. 8 at Portland, Ore., after a lingering illness. Private funeral services were conducted at Portland Feb. 10 and burial rites were held at Gold Beach, Ore., Feb. 12. Mrs. Costelloe, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Duncan, pioneers of the Davenport and Egypt vicinity, was born Nov. 6, 1893, at Davenport. She received her education at Davenport and Spokane and lived in the latter city until 25 years ago when she moved to Oregon. She is survived by her husband, Leonard; three daughters, Bessie Dishner, Ophir, Ore.,; Barbara Wilton and Jean Svaboda, Portland, Ore.; two sons, Robert of Portland, and Revis of Gold Beach; four sisters, Ethel Ryan and Saddie McCall, Cheney; Margaret Lennon, Tekoa, and Kate Dow, Lodi, Calif.; three brothers, Newton Duncan, Ritzville; John Duncan, Sprague, and Harry Duncan, Farmington, and five grandchildren. Funeral Service Held Here for Mrs. Kalkwarf Funeral services were held Friday at the Emanuel Lutheran church for Mrs. Marie Kalkwarf, who died recently at the age of 82 in Walla Walla. The Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiated. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Kalkwarf was born in Genkingen, Germany, near Wurttemberg, in 1869. She came to the United States in 1899, making her home with her brother, Jacob Reiff of Pine River, Wis. In 1905 she was married to D. J. Kalkwarf. They moved to Ritzville. Mr. Kalkwarf died in 1934, and Mrs. Kalkwarf remained here several years after her husband's death before leaving town. Four children were born to the couple: Mrs. Harry Dennison of Portland; Mrs. Dale Jackson of Walla Walla; Mrs. William Pratt of Astoria, Ore.; and Arthur Kalkwarf of Hoquim. Stepchildren surviving Mrs. Kalkwarf include H. E. E. Kalkwarf and Onno J. Kalkwarf, both of Ritzville; P. J. Kalkwarf of Hillsboro, Ore.; Mrs. Dengil Dyer and H. O. Kalkwarf, both of Portland; Mrs. L. Rector of Bend, Ore.; and Ray Kalkwarf of Des Moines, Iowa. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 28, 1952 Funeral Service Held Here For Mrs. Miessner Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday for Mrs. Henry Miessner, 77, a resident of Packard, who apparently took her own life in the bedroom of her home sometime last Sunday. According to Deputy Prosecutor Dick Whitmore, who investigated, Mrs. Miessner's death was caused by hanging with a clothesline. Mrs. Miessner, a widow, had been living with a son, Richard, who was not home at the time of the tragedy. Sheriff Frank Lucas said the body was found about 7 p.m. Sunday by Mrs. Fred Burghard, a neighbor, and Earl Meise of Odessa, who were coming to call. Born in Germany, Mrs. Miessner had been a resident of the Ritzville area for 52 years. The Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiated at the funeral in the Lutheran church. Burial was in the Lutheran cemetery. Survivors include five daughters, Mrs. Esther Anderson of Eagle, Idaho; Mrs. Laura Stone of Dayton; Mrs. Anna Kahler of Hooper; Mrs. Martha Vostral of Ritzville; and Mrs. Bertha Thiel of Cheyenne, Wyo. Two sons also survived - Herman of Chehalis and Richard of Packard - as well as 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mrs. Miessner was a member of Emanuel Lutheran church. Danekas and Duncan funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Funeral Is Held for Jack Keiper Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon for Jack Carl Keiper, 64, of Lind, who died the previous Thursday at Ritzville General hospital. A resident of Lind for 20 years, Keiper was a painter. He was a World War I veteran and a member of the Lind American Legion Post, the Knights of Pythias in Lind, and the Lutheran church. The Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiated at the funeral in the Lutheran church in Lind. Burial was at the Lind cemetery. Survivors include the widow, Margaret, at the home; two daughters, Mrs. Thelma Haase of Ritzville and Mrs. Louise Green of Vancouver; two sons, Jack, Jr., and Marvin, both of the home; a sister, Mrs. Pauline Geisler of Piper City, Ill.; and one grandchild. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 6, 1952 Dr. Bice, Pioneer, Buried In Iowa OAKLAND, Calif. - A well-known Adams county pioneer, Dr. C. W. Bice, was buried at his old hometown of Perry, Ia., last Monday following his death of a heart attack at his home in Oakland the previous Wednesday. Dr. Bice was an active physician in Oakland. For many years, usually at harvest time, he had returned to Ritzville for an annual visit. He owned a ranch in the Marcellus area. Dr. bice practiced medicine in Ritzville for 10 years between 1905 and 1915. His offices were in the Grittman building where attorney George Freese is now located. Dr. Bice was the fourth of five Ritzville physicians of that early day period to pass away. Dr. Burroughs, Dr. Johnston and Dr. Hewitt had died previously. Surviving is Dr. Armond, who lives in Los Angeles. Still remembered in Ritzville is the "Red Devil," Dr. Bice's 1909 White Steamer, one of the first cars in the county. Dr. Bice left Ritzville in 1915 for advanced studies in New York City. He practiced a few years at Great Falls, Mont., before settling in Oakland in 1923. Mrs. Knottingham Dies On Wednesday Mrs. Claude Knottingham, 59, postmistress at Roxboro, took her own life Wednesday by hanging. Assistant county coroner Dick Whitmore said Mrs. Knottingham's body was found about 2 p.m. in a shed behind her residence. Mrs. Knottingham's husband had died several months ago. No funeral arrangements have been announced. Danekas and Duncan funeral home is in charge. Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Bauer Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon for Mrs. Rose Bauer, who died the previous Saturday at Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane. The Rev. Alfred Carter officiated at the rites in the Danekas and Duncan funeral home chapel. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. A resident of the Ritzville area for 52 years, Mrs. Bauer was a member of Marcellus Grange, American Legion Auxiliary and Trinity Methodist church. Survivors include her husband, Sol Bauer, and son, Delano, at the home; two sisters, Mrs. Henry Heinemann and Mrs. Albert Pinnow, both of Ritzville; three brothers, Fred Schaefer of Ritzville, Joe Al Schaefer of Hillyard, and Edwin Schaefer of Washtucna. Mrs. Bauer also was survived by three half-brothers, Con Schaefer of Post Falls, Idaho, and Jake and Will Schaefer, both of Ritzville. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 13, 1952 Arthur C. Mustard, Ex-Resident, Dies SPOKANE - Arthur C. Mustard, former Ritzville businessman, died here Tuesdsay. Mustard was manager of the dry goods department of the Ritzville Trading Company many years ago. From Ritzville he went first to Cashmere and later to Cheney before settling in Spokane. Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Haase Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Philadelphia Congregational church for Mrs. Karolina Haase, who died Tuesday in the Ritzville General hospital. The Rev. R. Kirschenmann will conduct the rites. Burial will be in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Haase was born on Jan. 29, 1878, in Kulm, Russia. She has lived in the Ritzville area for 50 years. She was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church and also a member of the church ladies' aid. Survivors include the husband, Jacob, at the home; four daughters, Mrs. Henry Rott of Ritzville, Mrs. William Conrath and Mrs. Hulda Briggs, both of Ellensburg; and Mrs. Tom Smith of Lamont; and three sons, J. John Haase and Toby Haase, both of Washtucna; and Gotthilf Haase of Ritzville. A sister, Mrs. Helena Miller of Germany also survives. Funeral Services Held In Ephrata for Mrs. Gering Funeral services for Mrs. Elizabeth Gering were held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 3, at the Nicholes funeral home in Ephrata with the Rev. Ida Weight officiating. Another services was held at 2 p.m. at the Menno Mennonite church between Ritzville and Lind with the Rev. Willard Wiebe officiating. Burial was in the Menno Mennonite cemetery. Mrs. Gering died in her sleep Friday morning, Feb. 29, after a lingering illness. She was born in Freeman, S. Dak., on May 17, 1877, the daughter of John and Katherine Schrag. She came to Eugene, Ore., at the age of nine, with her parents and was raised in that area. There she was baptized into the Mennonite church by her uncle, the late Rev. J. R. Schrag. On June 1, 1899, she was married to Adolph Gering. They spent their honeymoon in a covered wagon traveling to eastern Washington where they homesteaded west of Ritzville. Since 1936 Mr. and Mrs. Gering had been living in Soap Lake, attending the Community church. Mrs. Gering was survived by her husband and three children, Clara (Mrs. W. C. Rhea of Puyallup), Bertha (Mrs. Joe Graber of Soap Lake), and Ralph Gering of Ritzville. Also surviving were three sisters, Mrs. Joseph Ries and Mrs. Tom Kaufman, both of Freeman, S. Dak., and Mrs. Emil Schrag, of Ritzville; and three brothers, Joe J. Schrag and Ewatt Schrag, both of Monroe, and Henry Schrag of Soap Lake. Eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren also survive. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 20, 1952 Death Came to McGregor, Last of Four Death came Wednesday to one of the "ranching giants" of the Adams county area - Alexander Campbell McGregor, 83, who died at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., after an illness of several months. McGreogor was the last survivor of the four McGregor brothers who built their holdings into a pastoral empire of some 45 square miles stretching to the confluence of the Snake and Palouse rivers. The McGregors' sheep operations, particularly, became the largest in the northwest and one of the largest in the nation. The toen of Hooper, in Whitman county, remained the "company town" of the McGregor Land and Livestock company. Alex McGregor retired in 1948 as president of the McGregor company. Since then he had divided his time between the northwest and California. One of his children, Sherman, is now secretary of the McGregor Land and Livestock company, which more recently has been gaining added fame by widespread experiments in wheat fertilizing and annual cropping. Members of the McGregor family living in the Hooper area as well as in Portland and New York are expected to be arriving in California the first part of the next week to join McGregors already there for funeral services. Alex McGregor's three older brothers, Archie, Peter and John, migrated from Owen Sound in Ontario, Canada, to the Dayton country in 1883. They started homesteading operations with two teams of horses. Later, they were introduced to the sheep raising business through a neighboring rancher. In 1890 they sold their holdings for $30,000 and opened a hardware store in Pullman. The firm went "busted" and the McGregors were back in the sheep business with a single flock to start with. "Alex" McGregor, like his brothers, the son of Scotch parents who migrated to Ontario from Scotland, was born in Owen Sound and was graduated from Owen Sound Collegiate institute. After three years as a drug apprentice in Toronto, he moved to Chicago, where he worked as a druggist for five years. In 1898 he sold his Chicago drug store and came to Hooper to join his brothers in the McGregor Land and Livestock company. In 1903 "Alex" was married to Jennie Sherman of Chicago and brought her to Hooper. Mrs. McGregor was with her husband when he died. The couple were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next year. The young McGregor brothers, building up their holdings piece by piece, soon held a vast sprawling empire in Whitman county of about 27,000 acres of grazing land and some 9,000 acres of wheat land. Adams county holdings of the McGregor firm were limited to about 160 acres of hay land this side of the Palouse river. Irrigated by sprinkler systems from artesian wells, the property produces winter feed for sheep. Adams county also entered the McGregor picture when one of the brothers, Peter, who served as the first president of the McGregor Land and Livestock company, purchased the Bar U ranch along Cow Creek. At the time it included about 13,000 acres of range - used for sheep - and some 12,000 acres in wheat. During their peak operations the four McGregor brothers probably were grazing about 9,000 sheep. Lambing started about March and shearing in May. Then the long trek to summer grazing lands was begun. These grounds, leased from the government, were located on the Kaniksu Indian reservation and other points in northern Washington and Idaho. The McGregor company could shear about 100,000 pounds of wool in a good year for market prices which have been as low as 8-1/2 cents a pound and ranged up to 60 cents during World War II. Their annual shipment of lambs might involve 7,000 head. During the 1920s the McGregor wheat lands still were harvested by horses. Bill Thiel of Ritzville, McGregor bookkeeper for many years, recalls three stationary threshers, each fed by three headers, being used to complete the harvest. Nearly 200 head of horses and about 100 men were invloved in the gigantic operation. In the late 20s the McGregors switched to combining. Today, also, their sheep are shipped overnight by rail to summer grazing grounds. During this lush period when the McGregor empire was at its height, the McGregor family lived almost a communal life, recalls John M. McGregor, a nephew of "Alex" who succeeded his uncle as president of the company. Each McGregor home was freely open to all members of the family, and at times as many as 40 McGregors would spend summer vacations together, setting up a camp along a lake or stream on once of their summer range holdings. "Alex" McGregor was the father of four children, Sherman, Mrs. Nelson Hazeltine of Portland, Mrs. Ray Spencer of Los Angeles, and Mrs. Arnold Manoff of New York. Dies In Spokane SPOKANE - Mrs. Elizabeth Morach died Wednesdsay in Spokane. No funeral arrangements have been announced. Mrs. Morach's children include Mrs. David Hoefel and Mrs. R. E. Edwards of Ritzville. Former Oil Company Respresentative Dies SPOKANE - Edward H. Slocum, former head salesman for the Standard Oil Company of California in Ritzville, died here last Sunday. Slocum lived in Veradale. He was survived by his widow, Grace. Funeral arrangements have not been announced. Washtucna Death Cleared, Lind Tragedy Under Study Funeral services were held last weekend for two Adams county young women whose deaths were under investigation by the county prosecutor's office. Buried Friday in Lind was Beverly Ann Griffith, 16-year-old Lind high school student. The circumstances of her death the previous Tuesday are still under investigation. Funeral services were held in Washtucna Saturday for Mrs. Dorothy Lou Simpson, 20-year-old housewife who died the previous Wednesday night. After investigation, County Prosecutor Edward G. Cross said this week, it was found Mrs. Simpson's death was caused by a heart condition. Miss Griffith died suddenly Tuesday evening at her home, the prosecutor's office said, after appearing to be in good health when two friends calls on her between 8 and 9 p.m. The friends have not been implicated in the death, the prosecutor said. The arrival of findings from a medical laboratory are still being awaited before a conclusion is reached, Cross added. Miss Griffith had lived in Lind the past six years with her mother, Mrs. Kenneth Swarts; her step-father, Kenneth Swarts; and her younger sister, Shirley Jean Griffith. She was also survived by her father, Ralph Griffith, and her step-mother, Mrs. Delores Griffith, who live in Benicia, Calif.; and her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Duncan of Cedar Vale, Kan. Funeral services were held Friday morning in the Lind Methodist church with the Rev. William Ritchey officiating. Burial was in the Lind cemetery. Danekas and Duncan funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Simpson and her husband, Donald, had lived the past two years in Washtucna, where Simpson is a relief operator with the S. P. & S. railroad. Their residence is a small cottage across the tracks and not far from the depot. Deputy Prosecutor Dick Whitmore said Simpson left the cottage about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, to stand his trek at the depot. Simpson told investigators he returned to the cottage about 12:30 but found the screen door locked from the inside and, assuming his wife was asleep, went back to the depot. Simpson said the next time he approached the cottage was about 8:10 a.m., shortly after he gone off duty. The screen door was still locked and when nobody answered his knocking and calling, the depot agent forced his way into the home. He found his wife dead in her bed. Whitmore said medical examiners have determined Mrs. Simpson apparently died of a heart condition sometime between midnight and 4 a.m. Thursday. She was the mother of two small children, David Lee, 28 months old, and Connie Joe, 16 months old. Funeral services for Mrs. Simpson were held Thursday morning at the Ball and Dodd funeral home in Spokane with the Rev. Paul Calhoun officiating. Burial was in Riverside cemetery in Spokane. Mrs. Simpson was a graduate of Lewis and Clark high school in Spokane and had been a member of the civil air patrol. Besides her husband and children, Mrs. Simpson was survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kilgore of Spokane; a grandfather, James Hester; two brothers, Vernon and James Kilgore, both of Spokane; and five sisters, Mrs. Marjorie McKee of Priest River, Idaho; and Mrs. Ruth Parkham, Mrs. Gloria Gibson, Joan Kilgore and Carol Kilgore, all of Spokane. Funeral Is Held For John Scheeler LIND - Funeral services were held at the Lind Lutheran church Monday for John Scheeler, 61, retired rancher, who died March 14. The Rev. R. O. Wittrock officiated at the rites. Burial was in the Lind cemetery. Born in Russia, Scheeler has lived in the Lind area for 38 years. Survivors include his widow, Hilda, at the home; six daughters, Mrs. Amelia Schott of Pullman, Mrs. Guyel Frost of Cheney, Mrs. Henry Gerlock of Lind, Mrs. Oscar Paslau of Kahlotus, Mrs. Milton Klettke of Endicott and Miss Margie Scheeler at the home. Also four sons, John, Jack, Richard and Donald, all of Lind; three sisters, living in Germany, and five grandchildren. Scheeler was a member of the Lutheran church in Lind and of the Lind Grange. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 27, 1952 Funeral Is Held for Mrs. Morach Funeral services for one of Ritzville's oldtime pioneers, Mrs. Elizabeth Morach, who died in Spokane March 19, were held Saturday afternoon at the Philadelphia Congregational church with the Rev. R. Kirschenmann, Rev. H. Neutzmann and Rev. Alex Rehn officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Elizabeth Waeckerling was born Nov. 13, 1867, in Rafz Switzerland. She came to America in 1888 and was married to the Rev. Jacob Morach in October of that year in Princeton, Neb. The couple served parishes in Princeton; Avoca, Iowa; Eureka, S. Dak.; and Fairfax, S. Dak.; before coming to Ritzville in 1912 where they served the Philadelphia Congregational church for 14 years. Surviving Mrs. Morach, who died at the age of 84, were three sons, Albert of Seattle; Paul of American Falls, Idaho; and Walter of Spokane; and four daughters, Mrs. M. L. Parish of Murdo, S. Dak.; Mrs. Emil Hoefel of Spokane; and Mrs. David Hoefel and Mrs. R. E. Edwards, both of Ritzville. Final Rites are Conducted For Mrs. Wellsandt Funeral services were held Monday at the Lutheran church for Mrs. Sophie Caroline Wellsandt, who died the previous Thursday in a Spokane hospital following an operation two week earlier. The Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiated at the services. Burial was in the Lutheran cemetery. Mrs. Wellsandt was born Sept. 12, 1863, in Hespe, Germany. She came to the United States with her parents at the age of eight. After living about 10 years in Nebraska, the family moved to the Ritzville community. Mrs. Wellsandt, who died at the age of 68, was always active in church work and as a member of the Woman's Missionary Society. Survivors include her husband, Karl, at the home; two daughters, Mrs. Lucille Thom of Ritzville and Mrs. Irene Rehn of Wenatchee; and a son, Victor, of Ritzville. Also surviving were six grandchildren; three sisters, Mrs. Carrie Schwisow, Mrs. Engel Sielaff and Mrs. Anna Schwisow; and three brothers, William Moeller of Harrington, Herbert of Ritzville, and Otto of Post Falls, Idaho.